Gone Too Soon: Grieving an Unexpected Loss
In honor of a friendship that never had the chance it deserved.
Today, I’m honoring a friend whose life was cut too short.
Less than a year ago, I met Kathy at a writers’ conference in Chicago. Have you ever met someone you immediately connected with? Who you know has the potential to be a lifelong friend? For me, that was Kathy. She possessed an inexplicable light and generously shared it with everyone around her.
Kathy and I sat next to each other during the first workshop of the conference. Later that day, we showed up for the same volunteer shift. We laughed at the coincidence and simultaneously called it serendipity. We were destined to become friends and spent the remainder of the conference getting to know one another — walking the city streets, eating deep-dish pizza, drinking wine, and sharing stories. There was an instant connection; for some reason, I could share things with Kathy that many of my closest friends probably know very little about.
When the conference ended, we vowed to stay in touch. How often does that happen in life, but after reality sets in, those promises are quickly broken? Not for me and Kathy. We texted, Zoomed, talked on the phone, and swapped drafts of our manuscripts for critique. And boy, was she a great critique…
